You Owe Me
by YonderB
Summary: I gave you your life back when I saved you from that prison, Jack. It's only fair that I get it for my own.' Jack owes his life to a sylph and doesn't want to give it up and die, a difficult position to be in while you're bleeding and cursed.
1. Damn you, Ether

((YOU MUST READ THIS BEFORE YOU CONTINUE: Before you start, I want us to be clear. I was very VERY iffy about posting this here, because I know how critical some people can be about OCs. The OCs in this story isn't a mary sues, nor are any of them madly in love with any of the characters here, yet, I know there will be one person that will be critical. If you must criticize my writing, just criticize my punctuation, capital letters and short chapters. Anyway, i will take this down if i must stop the flames. I like the way I wrote this, and I hope some of you do too. Anyway, without stalling any longer, please read, and this will be updated regularly, unlike the rest of my stories.))

Jack Sparrow stood at the edge of the beach, the clear blue waters splashing at his feet. He took a step toward the water, but it retreated from him, leaving the sand beneath his feet hot and prickling.

Jack glazed up at the bright blue sky, the sun beating down at him, but somehow, nowhere to be seen at the same time.

The sky was pitch black now, and there was a white dot in it.

The white dot blinked at Jack.

Reaching up, Jack waited, his sleeve sliding down his arm to hook at his elbow, the dot getting bigger, then floating down to hover above his fingertips, a single, white feather.

Jack was silent, merely staring at the feather with a mixture of curiosity, fear and indifference.

The feather glided in between his fingertips before floating down, to where the edge of his forearm met his wrist, floating there for a moment, before slicing into the flesh, white-hot pain spearing through Jack's arm.

Jack sat bolt-upright on his bed, his heartbeat hammering in his chest, his body coated with a sheen of cold sweat, dreadlocks tangled about his neck, his bandanna abandoned on the floor, numerous trinkets and beads tangled in his hair.

"Oh, shit... _Ether_..." Jack whispered into the darkness of his cabin. Looking down at his hands that were in his lap. He noticed that they were shaking.

"... Damn you, Ether..." Jack hissed, staring down at his forearms; a few inches under his wrists, where tiny, sharp, white feathers were sticking out of small slits in his skin, beads of blood welling from the broken flesh around them.

Grabbing bandages from his bedside table, Jack ignored the gentle, yet insistent stinging he was receiving from the feathers, before starting to bandage them; from his wrist, down to his elbow. He knew how fast the feathers would travel.

"_You still owe me, Jack..._" came a soft airy voice, carried by the wind that whisked it's way through Jack's open cabin window and to Jack's ears.

"You gave me _five years_, Ether." Jack snapped to the empty cabin.

"_And five years have passed, Jack. You still owe me._" replied the voice airily, before the wind gently glided past Jack's face, brushing against his cheek in a kittenish way, before circling him and gliding out the window again.

Jack gritted his teeth and glanced down at his now-bandaged forearms, to see that blood was already starting to soak through.

((TBC. okay. review, please. but, please keep your flames to yourself. I am very pathetic when it comes to my own plots and characters. please tell me what you think. i adore personal comments.))


	2. Suppose not, Cap'n

((You read the header on chapter one, I hope? Yes? That's good.))

Jack exited his cabin a few minutes after sunrise to see his crew already hard at work. Jack tenderly squeezed at his forearms to be greeted with a spear of pain shooting up both arms, making him flinch violently. He hadn't been able to sleep at _all_ last night. After having found those feathers sticking out of his arms and having that talk to Ether, Jack's mind was much too active to get a wink of sleep, plus, having your arms torn apart by something you can't stop is a little unnerving too.

Jack took a breath, letting his arms hang by his sides, ignoring the insistent pain that had morphed from stinging to pinching "NEW PLAN, LADS!" Jack crowed loudly to his crew, who immediately turned to him, seeing their captain, looking as normal as he has ever been, but maybe looking a bit pale, "WE BE GOIN' TO PORT ROYAL TO PICK UP A'FEW FRIENDS, AYE? HARD-A-PORT!"

Anamaria, who was standing behind the wheel, blinked at him, before quickly swinging the wheel to the right, making the wheel a blurred circle of brown, the crew swaying slightly to stay footed as The Pearl turned, obeying her captain.

"Cap'n?" Gibbs hurried to Jack's elbow as said captain shimmied up the steps to the bridge, waving a somewhat stiff hand to Anamaria, motioning her to leave the steering to him.

Jack placed his hands on The Pearl's wheel as Anamaria scuttled up the mast to the crows-nest, Jack curling his fingers around the warm, soft wood, and he felt a sudden twinge in his forearms. Jack's lips thinned.

The feathers were spreading.

"Cap'n?" Gibbs repeated.

Jack faced Gibbs with an overly-flamboyant turn, one hand on the wheel, the other on his hip. "What can I do ya for, Gibbs!" Jack chirped happily, making Gibbs second-guess what he thought was a somber expression on his captain's face a second ago.

"Why we be goin' to Port Royal, Cap'n?" Gibbs grunted, ignoring Cotton's parrot, who was squawking 'Pirate's life for me! Pirate's life for me!' from upon one of the sails.

"To pick up our Dear Mr William Turner and his bonny lass Elizabeth!" Jack squealed, his multicoloured teeth glinting in the blinding sun.

Gibbs blinked. "Why?"

Jack paused, his face screwed up in an over-compensated try for thought.

"Do we really need a reason to visit our little luvies?" Jack finally said, a grin plastering itself on the captain's face.

Gibbs thought about it. "No, I suppose not, Cap'n."

"Then get to work, Gibbs! The faster we get there, the faster we can make Dear ol' Lizzie scream herself hoarse!" Jack beamed, waving a hand at Gibbs to get on with his duties. "Ah, if _only_." Jack sighed with a wistful look upon his face. "If only she went mute like Cotton... No more _screaming_!"

Gibbs sighed and shook his head at his captain, before turning and shuffling back down the stairs, as soon as his back was turned, his captain's face morphed into one of pure agony, Jack's his knuckles turning white around the wheel, his face going even more pale, his legs threatening to buckle.

"Damn you, Ether." Jack grunted through his teeth, resting his sweating forehead against the edge of the wheel.

"_You're welcome, Jack_." returned the airy voice, a cold gust of air assaulting Jack's back and ruffling his hair.

"You want something in return. I'll give you something. Just _stop_ the curse!" Jack hissed, his arms seeming to feel like they were burning in white-hot ashes, Jack pressing his forehead harder against the wheel, trying to drown the pain out, but with no avail.

"_I want your life in return, Jack. Will you give it to me?_" Ether's airy voice whispered into his ear.

Jack's eyes snapped open. "You want my _life_?"

"_I gave you your life back when I saved you from that prison, Jack. It's only fair that I get it for my own._"

Jack felt his heartbeat quicken substantially.

((TBC. again, please review. i like reviews. reviews are my friend. i hope you like it so far))


	3. Captain Jack, of course

Will stood at the window, his newly made sword in front of him, lying on the windowsill, calloused fingers running over the silken blade like a jeweler would inspect a crystal, bright brown eyes occasionally glancing up from the sword to the docks down by the beach, as though he was expecting someone, the full moon glowing overhead, it's white light splashing onto the sea, diamond-like droplets of water gleaming with life not of their own.

Sighing, the young Turner looked back down at his sword, seeing his reflection gleam at him.

Turning, Will removed the sword from the windowsill, before sheathing it, another sigh slipping from his lips as he placed it with all the others.

"Lookin' rather lost, aren't we, Young Mr Turner?"

Will froze.

Slowly turning, as though in a dream, Will faced the voice, who was standing in the middle of the blacksmiths' shop, looking only a little different from last time Will had last seen him, a year or so previously.

"_Jack_," Will sighed, feeling as though four tons of stress just lifted from his shoulders.

Jack rose his eyebrows pointedly.

"_Captain_ Jack, of course." Will corrected himself with a smirk.

Jack nodded, a small smile tugging at his lips. "Where's the bonny lass?"

"Sleeping." Will answered with a smile, then, quite suddenly, something clicked.

"_JACK_!" Will squeaked, eyes wide.

Jack blinked at Will. "Aye?"

"W-What are you doing here?! There are guards _everywhere_! You might get caught!" Will hissed, mentally beating himself for not thinking of this earlier.

Jack blinked again. "I need ye, Will. And yer bonny lass." he stated in a mono-tone.

Will stared at Jack. "What? Why?"

Jack looked down at his feet, before slowly raising his arms for Will to see. Will felt every ounce of blood drain from his face, his eyes widening to almost inhuman proportions.

Jack's fingertips were deathly pale, from his knuckles down were bandaged, and his sleeves were pulled up to his wrists, but that wasn't hiding the blood that had soaked through the bandages and into cloth, staining the cream coloured fabric, scarlet.

Jack was bleeding. a _lot_.

Will didn't even know his mouth was hanging open, he was just staring at the blood that was silently dripping from Jack's sleeves, to the dirty floor.

Quite suddenly, Jack screamed. Not a warrior-like scream, but a scream etched with agony. Jack fell to his knees and elbows, Will launching forward to his side before he could help himself.

"Ja--" Will started, but before he could finish, Jack retched and blood exploded out of the captain's mouth, over his hands and onto the floor.

Will stared, a hand on the captain's shoulder, watching as blood dripped from Jack's stained lips.

He only just heard Jack speak.

"Why does she have to _do_ this to me..."

((TBC. i sent this chapter to a friend of mine, and she grinned all through reading it. anyway, i hoped you liked it, and please review if you want.))


	4. Don't be stubborn

Jack stared down at his reflection in the pool of blood before him, his arms soaked in the same blood.

"Jack..." Will whispered, squeezing Jack's shoulder gently, "What is _happening_ to you...?"

"Old wound, Will." Jack croaked with a barely audible voice, licking blood from his lips. "A' old, _five-year_ wound."

Will blinked, not understanding.

Jack bowed his head, remembering the last conversation he had with Ether, on the ship.

"_I gave you your life back when I saved you from that prison, Jack. It's only fair that I get it for my own._"

Jack's stomach churned.

"_You remember what happened, don't you, Jack? You promised me an exchange. I got you out of the prison, and you just kept on stalling until I had to leave. Empty-handed._" Jack could almost feel Ether's lips against his ear as the whispering continued. "_I can hold a grudge pretty long, Jack._"

"I noticed." The captain growled. "I'll give ye almost anythin', _except_ me life." Jack continued.

"_You won't be upset after I take your life, Jack. If you're not alive, you can't be upset. Right?_" Ether continued airily.

"You're _not_ havin' me life."

"_Why not?_" Ether almost sounded as though they were pouting.

"My life is the most import'nt thing to me, Ether. Besides Th' Pearl. You're not havin' it." Jack snapped shortly, feeling the pain in his arms dwindle merely to a soft throb.

There was silence from Ether, the wind stilling and Jack glanced up at the sails of The Pearl to see them merely hang from the mast, no air filling them.

"Oh, come _on_, Ether. Don' be stubborn." Jack hissed through his teeth, continuing to stare at the sails, which still weren't filled with air.

"_What are you thinking I would want instead of your life, Jack?_" Ether growled, for only the second time in Jack's lifetime, he knew Ether was angry.

"It'll be a surprise. I _know_ you like surprises." Jack whispered in a slightly hurried voice, glancing about The Pearl to see his crew staring at the limp sales with confusion.

"_... What kind of surprise?_" Ether muttered. Though, Jack could hear the hint of curiosity tainting their aggravated voice.

"You'll like it." Jack answered surely, "but it migh' be difficult for me to get your surprise when your curse is still ripping my body apart..." Jack continued, glancing up at the clear blue skies.

"_No_." Ether snapped, their voice going back to being angry. "_You will endure the curse. It might make you work faster._"

And with that, a cold and salty gust of air slammed against Jack's back, causing him to bump his chest against the wheel in front of him, the air splashing over Jack and filling the sails of The Pearl, making her move once again.

Jack felt Will rub his shoulder lightly as the captain continued to stare down into the pool of blood, and he smirked. Will still needed some Pirate-lessons.

((TBC. For those who wonder, the 'curse' is the fact that Jack's arms are sprouting feathers, and the internal bleeding, but it gets worse. anyway, i hope you liked it. much more to come. there isn't supposed to be any slash, but i see slash. do you see slash? i do.))


	5. Three basic worlds

Jack shifted slightly, Will kneeling beside him on the floor of the blacksmith's shop, having thrown up a large, unhealthy amount of blood onto the floor a few moments ago.

"Ev'r heard of a Sylph, Will?" Jack asked, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the floor, feeling the ripping sensation he experienced in his stomach, become warm and heal itself. Jack sighed. Ether didn't want him to die yet, after all.

"Sylph?" Will blinked, staring as Jack sat back, the captain's blood-coated hands and arms lying limply on his lap, Jack flicking a few spare dreadlocks over his shoulder. "No..."

"Spirit o' th' air." Jack explained, staring with unfocused eyes at the ceiling, his back slightly hunched. "'met one five years ago. She was nice. A little naïve when it came to men, but alrigh'."

Jack felt a sigh leave his lips as he turned to look at Will from the corner of his eye, the younger boy staring at him with wide, bright, curious, confused eyes. "There are three basic worlds. This world–" Jack roamed his eyes around the shop that they were in, "– the world o' the dead, and the world o' the occult."

Will blinked. Jack continued.

"The world o' the occult consists o' spirits –_nymphs, sylphs, devils, elves, pixies, goblins_–, monsters –_yeti, kraken, basilisk, dragons, lycanthropes, trolls_–, and all the like. They can travel to this world–" Jack jerked his head to the shop, "–whenever they please, or they could be summoned, bu' they can only stay a certain amount o' time, depending how powerful they are. If they're small and weak, they can, maybe, stay in this world for a'few minutes at a time. If they're powerful, they can stay a few years at a time, or maybe decades. It'all depends."

Will blinked again. "_How_ do you know this?" he croaked.

Jack waved a blood-coated hand. "Don' interrupt."

Jack placed his somewhat limp hand back into his lap and continued. "They belong to that world, so, they have to stay there, or, at least, go back there occasionally to replenish themselves. But, some o' them can communicate to this world with their gifts. Some make the mistake of reproducing in this world, and have their offspring in this world. So, that makes the baby unable to leave this world for long periods at a time, just like it's parents, except the worlds are swapped 'round. Dear ol' Davie was born in this world..." Jack sniffed in a non-caring fashion.

There was a pause.

"What were we talkin' 'bout before, Will?" Jack asked, a frown on his face.

"Sylphs." Will answered automatically.

"Oh. Righ'." Jack sniffed. "Well, this Sylph that I knew had taken a mild fancy to me –very _very_ mild, mind you–, and we became almost-friends. We still had a few certain things we didn't like about each other. She had been at this world for three years previously, and she told me that she can only stay at this world for four years at a time,–"

"So, that means she was powerful?" Will interjected.

Jack nodded. "More or less, but I told ye, no interrupting."

"_Anyway_," Jack continued, ignoring Will's mildly offended look. "I got myself arrested my accident–" Will smirked "– and I made a deal with her; if she got me out o' the jail, i'd do something for her. Unfortunately, she was a bit o' a picky chooser after she got me out, and she made a few hints that she wanted my life as my side of the deal, but never said it pointedly."

Jack wiggled his blood-soaked pale fingers in his lap. "So, not one to give up my own life, I just waited for her to get weak and be forced t' go back to her own world." Jack shrugged. "It worked, I s'ppose. When she was nearly gone, she told me i'd have five years to give her my side of the deal."

"And you _didn't_ give her anything?" Will asked, not amused, knowing the answer.

Jack just gave him a kicked puppy look.

((TBC. sorry for the wait. Jack is the king of the 'kicked puppy' look. that's the true reason Norrington let him go, y'know! and, yes. i think i have out-done myself with all these 'rules' that i have introduced in this chapter. hope you likie. 'Davie', if any of you can figure out who that is, shall not, i think, be in this story.))


	6. Look like bums

"Hey Ether!" Came an excited call.

"What, Urchin?" came a somewhat lethargic sigh.

"You still stalking that Sparrow guy?" questioned Urchin, standing merely a foot in height, his long, pointed ears seeming to wiggle with the endless amount of energy that filled the imp, his bright green hair and glowing copper eyes glinting with mischievousness, his grey-brown skin covered with spots and freckles.

"Yes."

"_Awesome_! Can I watch?" squealed the tiny imp, clapping his long-fingered hands together, his pointed ears bobbing about in the air.

There was a pause.

"No."

"_HUH_?!" Urchin screamed, utterly offended, placing a hand to his chest, staring at Ether's back with wide, glinting eyes, crocodile tears in the corners. He was barely tall enough to head-butt Ether's ribs; and she was sitting down.

"Promise me you have no perverted intentions, and i'll let you." Ether replied, waving a clawed hand in the air flippantly, her back still facing the imp.

Urchin stared at the sylph's back, mouth agape, hand still placed on his chest.

"How...!"

"I'd be surprised if you _weren't_ trying to be perverted, Urchin."

Urchin slapped Ether's elbow, the closest and lowest thing he could reach, before pouting, his jagged silver teeth digging into his lip slightly.

"... Fine." Urchin grunted.

Ether nodded, waving a hand over her shoulder for him to join her.

Urchin scuffed his way around Ether, to sit in front of her, crossing his tiny legs, staring at the large glowing orb that was hovering in between Ether and himself, at nose-height to him.

There was a reflection of a man on the orb, with long dark brown hair, twisted into dreadlocks, with tiny glinting trinkets and beads mixed in, blood smeared over his lips and down his chin, sweat covering his forehead, which was wrapped in a red bandanna, his onyx eyes framed with kohl, his mouth moving as though he was talking, but no sound seeming to come from the orb. There was a younger man next to him, listening intently, his eyes a bright brown, he seemed cleaner than the other, and had shorter hair.

"They look like _bums_." Urchin stated flatly. "Who are they?"

"The older one is Jack Sparrow, and the younger one is William Turner." Ether answered in her usual monotone, her face hidden from Urchin behind the orb.

"Crappy names." Urchin stated.

The person named William said something to the person named Jack, not looking amused, and Sparrow gave him a kicked puppy look in answering.

"_I can do that!_" Urchin crowed happily, pointing a finger at the orb, his finger grazing the exterior of the glowing shape, the orb distorting slightly, seeming to morph into a mist where Urchin had touched it, before fixing itself back to what it looked like before.

"Urchin?" Ether questioned from behind the orb. "I need you to do something for me."

Urchin swayed on his buttocks, looking around the orb at Ether. "Do what? And what do I get out of it?" the imp asked automatically.

A slow grin melted into Ether's face, revealing pointed ashen teeth, her eyes still fixed on the picture of Sparrow on the orb. "You'll like it..."

((TBC. Did you notice that i didn't describe what Ether looks like other than her teeth and hands? I did that for a reason! Damn, i'm way too proud of that. Why? I don't know. Anyway, thanks for reading, and dear ol' Lizzie might be in the next chapter. i dunno. Urchin is basically an imp who makes trouble, and enjoys peoples' suffering deeply. I shall let your imaginations run wild for the moment, about what Ether wants him to do. Anyway, Merry christmas!))


	7. Ahoy maties!

Elizabeth –soon to be– Turner awoke early in the morning, feeling warm, content and a might hungry. Though, hunger was soon forgotten when she saw that Will's side of the bed was not filled.

"Will?" murmured Elizabeth, sliding her long, elegant legs out from under the sheets, running a hand through her long waves of golden-brown hair.

Something brushed her toe.

Leaning over the edge of the bed, Elizabeth frowned at the small pendant lying by her house-slippers: It was a small, about the size of a grape; a hollow glass sphere, filled with a curious, ever-so-slightly opaque gas that silently swirled about in the pendant lethargically, and the pendant was connected to a long, silver chain, a silver leaf-like slip of metal folded over the chain and connected to the pendant.

Elizabeth smiled and picked the pendant up with slender fingers, the chain draped over her palm. Her smile widened. Will always did spoil her. What Elizabeth did not know; was that this necklace was _not_ from William.

Standing gracefully, Elizabeth stood before her mirror, the necklace held gently in her hand as she observed her beautiful reflection. Stroking down a few annoying strands of hair, Elizabeth fingered the pendant, before her deep, drown eyes floated down to the pendant again. Sighing warmly, she rose her hands and, finally taking the long, elegant chain, raising it over her head, and slipping the necklace over her head and putting it on, she observed her reflection.

The pendant hung perfectly above her bosom, the silver shining against her silk nightdress and warm skin, but something caught her eye in the mirror, over her shoulder. She blinked at it with warm-brown eyes.

A grin filled with ashen pointed teeth gleamed over her shoulder, and a clawed hand shot out, scooping around her neck and snatching her throat before another clawed hand seized a handful of the back of her nightdress and wrenched her backwards.

A scream tore itself from Elizabeth's constricted throat before she was swallowed up by swirling colours and biting winds, lashing at her skin. The hands tightened around their prey, and the grin filled with pointed teeth widened.

Jack and Will sat in the kitchen connected with the blacksmith's workshop, Jack sitting moodily –and sloppily– in a chair, head lolled backwards over the back, one leg hooked over the table in front of him, and Will sat in the chair opposite Jack, hands clasped in his lap, trying to ignore the boot that had left a smear of mud on the tabletop.

"Y'sure ye don' have no rum?" drawled the pirate captain, eyes unfocused and fixed on the ceiling. Will had washed the blood off the captain's face, but Jack had stubbornly not allowed the younger man to touch his arms, let alone wash them and re-bandage them.

"I'm _positive_, Jack," sighed Will, pinching the bridge of his nose, glancing at the captain's bloody forearms, which were lazily crossed over Jack's lap.

Jack let out a noise akin to a dying mongoose. "I don' understand why ye wan' me t' wait for 'er to wake up. Nothin' I 'ain't seen before, mate! Can't I jus' go strait in there an--"

A scream exploded from down the hall, causing Jack's head to snap up, and for Will's eyes to widen, before the two of them immediately shot out of their seats and tear down the hall and explode into Elizabeth and Will's bedroom. Not before Jack tripped on his chair and nearly smacked headlong into the doorway, of course.

Elizabeth was nowhere to be seen.

"_Eliza_--!" started Will, his dark eyes wide, but immediately froze at the sight of the little creature sitting on the pillows of the bed before him.

Jack glanced over the younger man's shoulder, and immediately stiffened.

"Ahoy maties!" squawked the little person, his green hair and copper eyes a clear show of 'not of this world', his long ears wiggling.

"That was a _terrible_ imitation." Jack stated matter-of-factly from behind Will. The younger man sent a sharp glare over his shoulder at the pirate, before taking a step toward the creature.

"Where's Elizabeth?" Will asked, a dangerous tone to his voice.

The little person quivered with glee, his jagged silver teeth shining in his grin. "Ether took her!"

Will was about to take the creature and throttle it senseless, but Jack stepped in.

"Why'd she do that?" The captain asked, looking down at the creature, lips pursed in a small frown.

The creature's grin widened. "Ether wants you to hurry up, Jack." With that, the little creature took something out of his pocket, flicked it toward the captain before disappearing in a swirl of colour.

Will was silent as he stared at the hollow glass pendant, slowly scooping it up, the silver chain draped across his fingers, his dark eyes taking in every detail, before he looked up at Jack; who immediately turned away from him.

"Le's get on th' boat, Will."

Will opened his mouth to argue that he was not leaving without Elizabeth, but Jack cut him off.

"Ether won' hurt 'er. She's got a thing 'bout not hurtin' women. 'nyway, she needs me cooperation."

With that, Captain Jack Sparrow turned a left, Will only standing there for a moment before hurrying after him, muttering very mild profanities and grabbing one of his best swords on his way out, the pendant still in his grasp.

((TBC. Well, this was not fun to write, except Elizabeth being kidnapped. Sorry for the delay, but, this chapter was actually going to be completely different. Hope you like it. Reviews and reviewers are great!))


End file.
